Label printing or stamping machine



H. F. HUR ST. LABEL PRINTING OR STAMPING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3, 1920.

Patented Apr. 12, 1921.

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LABEL PRINTING Slit STAIKPING 1VIACI-IINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 3, 1920. Serial No. 386,341.

1 '0 all who lit it may concern:

lie it known that l, HUGH HURsT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Richmond, in the county of l lenrico and State ofVirginia, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Label Printin o Stamping); Machines, of which the following a specification, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings.

I This invention relates to the of printing and more especially to a machine for printing or stamping labels.

ruggists as arule have on hand fifty or sixty labels more or less Which carry only the name of the medicine for which the labels are intended, such as sulfurammcnia water, etc. Some of the labels have printed thereon Essence of lemon and on the second line Filcohol 90 per cent, and el only the dosage such as Castor oil on one line and on a second line One tablespoontul. Then Wholesale (l uo'gists have printed on the labels the' nanie only such as F. E. cascara, spirits of camphor, bay rum, etc, and no other particulars. l requentl some druggists use u. s and Write on each blank, at the time needed, the medicine for Which the blank label is intended. Such labels. are often poorly Written and are liable to cause serious mistakes. Druggists who keep a supply of labels are also handicapped in havbla inftheir mcne' tied no and es )eciall in i keeping; such. labels in a readily accessible manner.

The present invention aims to avoid these lisadvantagcs and to provide machine for printing the labels as they are needed thereby greatly reducing the expense of having labels pr nted and heepii a great number of labels of each medicine on hand.

Another object is to provide a machine in which each blank label as it is needed to be placed on the bottle of medicine is in serted so thatby moving" a printing member or cylinder downward the label may be printed and then the label drawn through the machine and torn oil, leaving another label in place.

Still another object is to provide a machine of this lrind whereby the printing member or cylinder may be adjusted or retated so as to position a different line of type opposite the platen roller so that the label which is left in place can be printed with an entirely different name. i l V A further object is to provide a machine of this character which can perform the Work of printing the labels as they are needed efficiently andvery quickly, it being obvious that the machine is at all times ready for use, owing to there being a supply or roll of labels mounted on the side of the machine with certain oi the labels protruding transversely of the machine in a position opposite the platen roller.

A still further object is to provide a printing ribbon and a mechanism for auto mati "ally feeding it over the platen in either direction, in other Words, the ribbon is capable of being reversed so that the ribbon can run back and fcrtl "from one roller to another, in combination with manual means to permit the ribbon to be fed at different times.

The invention also aims to provide a guide the label as it passes over the platen roller.

Also the invention aims to provide means for holding the printing; cylinder in differpositions, there being a casing inclosing the mechanism, in order to indicate when the name of a certain medicine is opposite the platen roller so that by simply depressthe cylinder, the impression of the name y be applied on the label.

lVhile the design and construction at present illustrated set forth is deemed preferable, it is obvious that as a result oi a reduction of the invention to more practi al term for commercial purposes, the invention may be susceptible to changes, and the right to these changes is claimed, provided they are comprehended Within the scope oi What is rlaimet.

The invention comprises further features and combination of parts, as will be hereinafter forth, shovrn in the drawings and claimed.

the drawings 2-- Figure 1 is a view in perspective ofthe improved label printing device constructed in ccordance with the invention,

2 is a vertical sectional view on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, i

2% is a transverse sectional view on line 3-3 of Fig. 2, showing the platen roller and illustrating the guide for thelabel.

Patented Apr. 112, 19'21.

Fig. 4: is. a view in elevation of one side of the machine opposite to that shown in Fi 1,

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail view. of the "guide for the'l'abel; and

. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of the spring arm 51.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the base of the machine which maybe any suitable shape or coi'niguration and T181115" upwardly from the baseor the side uprights 2, 'the upper ends of which are connected by the cross piece 3. The base L-is provided Positioned'on' the base adjacentrand over the platen roller is a label guide 12. This label guide is constructed of a single piece of sheet metal bent upon itself as at 13,

v and the bent portions or parts thereof are provided with elongated rectangular openings 1 1, vwhich extend transversely of the base. One edge of the sheet metal forming the guide has an over-turned flange under Whichtheedge portion 16 of the other bent or folded part of the guide engages thereby holding the opposite parts of the guide in position. One end of this guide is provided with. spaced cars 17 which receive screws to secure the guide on the base. The other end of the sheet metal guide has a projecting ear 18, which is secured at 19 to the plate 10. It is obvious that by first removing'the screws from the lugs or ears 17, and by removing the screw 19, the sheet metal guide may be removed. If necessary, the plate 16 may be detached with the guide by first removingthe crews from the lugs or ear-s17 and then detaching the plate 10. -When this means is employed for removing the guide it is obvious that the platen roller may be detached, so that it can be repaired or a new one inserted. The lower part of one of the'uprights 2 is cut away and there by providing an opening 2() which is positioned adjacent one end of the sheet metal guide so as to assist in guiding the label into andthrough the guide. v The base 1 is provided with oppositely arranged elongated slots or openings 21, in

bearings of the end of which the pintles of the ribbon rolls 22 are mounted. The ribbon 23 engages about said rolls, and the rolls for the ribbon are capable of rotating so as to feed the ribbon back and forth across the label guide. One end of each of the ribbon rolls is provided with ratchet teeth 23 Theseratchet teeth are protected by the plates 24 carried by the pintles of the ribbon therewith and one end of the shaft 28 has a hand knob 27 by which the cylinder may be rotated for'adjusting certain lines of type to position opposite the platen roller. This shaft is movable in guide slots 29 of the uprights. Pivoted on one end of the shaft is the escapement detent 25 comprising the two arms 31 and 32. The arm 31 is in a position to engage the ratchet teethof one of the ribbon rolls while the armj32 is in a position to engage the ratchet teeth or the other ribbonroll, when the detent is set. YA lever 33 is pivoted at 3 1 to one of the uprights and is provided with a handle The other end of the lever is extended downwardly and terminates at a point substantially intermediate the two arms 31 and 32 of the escapement detent, and connected to the end as at 36 is a pair of coil springs 37. f

The remote ends of the springs are connected at 38 to the arms 31 and 32 of the escapeinent detent so to tensionthe same and hold either one of its arms in position relatively to its respective ratchet teeth of the respective ribbon rolls. It will be seen that by setting the lever 33 in one position so as to position the tooth 39 of the arm 32 of the detent in close position to the ratchet teeth of one of the ribbon rolls, the arm 32 is undertension of one of the springs so that when the ribbon roll is moved for adjusting the ribbon, the tooth 39 will engage and disengage the ratchet teeth. In other words, the roll with the teeth of which the tooth 39 co'riperate will be prevented from backward movement. When it is desired to feed the ribbon in an opposite direction, the other rollmay be rotated and in this instance the tooth d0 of the arm 31 of the detent will ride 1 over the ratchet teeth of the other roll, and prevent retrograde movement of the roll. fWhen one ribbon roll is accomplishing the feed of the ribbon, the ribbon unreels from the other roll, because the tooth of the detent is free of the teeth. The lever 33 is provided with a hand grip operated dog 41 for holding the lever in position. The printing cylinder is constructed of metal, and in'ordertha't the printing oylinder may be moved vertically its shaft is and is guided through a bearing in the cros 7 piece 3 and has a knob at its upper end. lnterposed between the knob 4&1 of the rod 113* and the cross piece 3 and in surrounding relation to the rod is a coil z-apring e5,

which ac to hold the ilrshaped frame in a raised position, therefore, holding the printing cylinder in a raised position.

The perimeter of the printing cylinder is provided with a 1 ilurality of grooves 4.6 in which tyae bars 47 are inserted. These type bars have the usual type faces which are adapted for printing the.

names of different medicines, for instance such as turpentine, essence of lemon, sulfurammonia water, castor oil, gasolene, bay rum, etc. Also on the perimeter of the cylinder adjacent one side there are printed names 48 co responding to the names of the type bar These names are arranged SO. that they are visible through the transparent corered opening d9 of the casing 50. A spring arm 51 is secured to the cross piece 3 and terminates in a laterally extending indicator or point 52. The names printed on the. perimeter of the cylinderv adjacent one side are so arranged relatively to the type bars that when a certain type bar is in position to maize an'impression on the label, the corresponding name of the perimeter of the cylinder is opposite the indicator or point 52. in other words, when the name of a certain medicine is opposite the pointer or indicator 52 the type bar with a corresponding name is opposite the platen roller thereby indicating when a certain type bar is in proper position to make an impression on thelabel. In order tohold the cylinder in such aposition according to the type bar to be impressed on the label a roller detent 54 is mounted in cars of the spring arm 51, and is designed to engage any one of the plural ity of depressions 55 of the perimeter of the cylinder. i

The casing houses the mechanism, and this casing 530 comprises the .twohood sections 56 and andthe hood section 56 is fired in position by means of the screws as ilh trated, while the hood section 57 is hinged at 58 to the cross piece, and 1s capable of being moved upwardly so as to have access to the ribbon and the ribbon rolls andv also to the lal'iel guide. llowe'ver, access may be had to one end otthe label guide through an opening 60 formed in one of the.

uprights and which opening 60 is closed by a closure 6i, and this closure (ll has a slot (32 therein so as to permit the label to be pulled irom the guide after it is printed.

h rail of bracket arms is secured to side of one of the uprights 2 and jourualed in hearings these is a label "irrying cylinder G l. The labels are conted in the form of a strip, one face of V which is supplied with adhesive material,

while the other face is p'rinted to provide label faces at spaced intervals. of paper is inserted through the label guide,

transverse The strip tain type bar may be made through the rib bon Whichpasses over one'of theslots of the guide. After the label has been placed it is obvious that by pushing down upon the knob of the rod .4301 the- U-shaped framelQ the cylinderis lowered to make an impression of the type bar on the ribbon, which in turn causes an impression of the name of the type bar on the label. After the label is printed it may be pulled through the guide and tornofl, owing to the knife edge 66. lVhen the label has been severed, another label is left in position to be printed.

This machine may be used for printing strips other than label strips, and also may be used for printing cards and the like.

The ribbon rolls have additional ratchet teeth and. 71, whichare engaged by the dogs 72 and 73. The ribbon is fed from one roller toanother when the printing cylin der is depressed. J]? or instance, the escapement detent is set by positioning the lever so that one or the other of the teeth of the" tive ribbon roller after which the cylindermay be depressed. The tooth of the detent will slide over the first ratchet teeth and engage certain of the ratchet teeth, the dog 72 acting to prevent the ribbon roller from rotating in a retrograde direction, then when the cylinder is allowed to resume its normal position the teeth of the detent will feed the ribbon roller forward. This same action occurs when the other arm of the escapement detent is set so that its other tooth will cooperate with theratc-het teeth of the roller. In this way, the ribbon is fed automatically from one roller to the other in either direction. W l

The invention having been set forth, what is claimed as new and useful is 1 p 1.111 a label, printing maehine, a frame having a base, a platen roller journaled in bearings of the base, a label guide positioned over the platen roller and provided with upper and. lower openings and through which the label passes,said guidebeing constructed of. a single piece of sheet metal bent upon itself causing. to be formed theupper and lower parts whichhave said openings, a printing ribbon extending across the. guide over the face of the label, and a printing member movable in guides of the frame and adapted when depressed to cause an impressionof a type bar on'the label.

2. Ina label printing machine, a frame having a base, a platen roller journaled in bearings of the base, alabelguide positioned over the platen roller, said guide being con;

20 I certain type bar is in position to make an 35 1 tively close position to the label whereby an structed. of a singlepiece of sheet metal and comprising vupper and lower parts having rectangular elongated openings, a ribbon arrangedover the guide, a printing cylinder having type bars therein movable in guides of the frame, and adapted when depressed to complete. an impression of one of its type bars ,on the label.

In a label printing machine, a frame having a base, a' platen roller journaled in bearings of the base, a label guide positioned over the platen roller, said guide being con structed of a single piece of sheet metal and comprising upper and lower parts having rectangular elongated openings, a ribbon arranged over the guide, a printing'cylinder having type bars therein movable in guides of the frame, and adapted when depressed to cause an impression of oneof its type bars on the label, and means to indicatewhen a impression on the label.

L'Ina label printing machine, a frame having a base, a platen roller journaled in bearingsof the base, a label guide positioned 7 over the platen roller, said guide being constructed of a single p ece'of' sheet me'taland comprising upper and lower parts having rectangular elongated open1ngs,a ribbon arranged over the guide, a printing cylinder having type bars therein movable in guides. of the-.frama and adapted when depressed to cause an impression of one of its type bars on the label, and means for hold ng the cylinder in position with a type bar in relaover the platen roller, said guide being constructed of a single piece of sheet metal and comprising upper and lower parts having rectangular elongated openlngs, a ribbon arranged over the guide, a printing cylinder having type bars therein movable in guides oftheframe, and adaptedwhen depressed.

t'o-cause an impression of one of its type bars on thelabel, andmeans' to indicate when a certain type bar is. in'position to make an 7 impressiononithe label, said cylinder being 'rota'tably mounted, and means for holding the cylinder against rotation whilethe cylin- .de'r is being depressed to cause an impression Ina label prin g madlinev frame,

ofthe type bar on the label.

' comprising a base and side uprights, a label recelv ng means carried by the base extending'. transversely under the cylinder, a platen roller under said label .receivingmeans, a. .ribbon 0perat1ve.,over the label receiving means; and a printing member movable verticallyfand'operatively in bearings of the side uprights, and ghaving type bars, any one I,

of which may engage the ribbon andcause position.

an impression of the type bar on the label when the printing member is depressed.

7'. In a label printing machine, a frame comprising a base and side uprights, a label receiving means carried by the base, a platen "roller under said label receiving means, a ribbon operative over the label receiving means, and a printing member movable vertically and Voperatively in bearings of the side uprights, and under which the label receiving means is transversely disposed, said cylinder having type bars, any one of which may engage the ribbon and cause an impression of the type bar on the label when the printing member is depressed, and means for returning the printing member to initial 8. In a label printing machine, a frame comprising a base and side uprights, a label receiving means on the base, a platen roller thereunder, a ribbon arranged over the label receiving means, a U-shaped frame mounted in guides of the side uprights, a, printing cylinder under which the label receiving means transversely extends, said cylinder havin'g'its perimeter provided with type bars being journaled in -.bearings of the U-shaped frame, said ,U-shaped frame being movable downwardly to cause the impression of a certain type bar of the cylinderton the label, and means for automatically re turning the cylinder to its initial position.

9. In a label printing machine, ajframe comprising a base and side uprights, a label receiving means on the base, a platen roller thereunder, a ribbon arranged over thelabel receiving means, aU-shaped frame mounted in guides of the side uprights, a printing cylinder having its perimeter provided with type bars and journaled in bearings-of the U-shaped frame, said U-shaped frame being movable downwardly to cause the impression of a certain type bar of the cylinder on the label, and means for automatically returning the cylinder to its initial position,

means for supporting the cylinder and in which said cylinder is rotatably mounted, and a detent'carried by the cylinder supporting means and adapted to engage with the perimeter of the cylinder for holding it against rotation, while a certain type bar is in position above the platen roller.

10. In a label printing machine, a frame. a label receiving means on the bottom of the frame, a'platen member under the label receiving means, a ribbon positioned movably across the label receiving means, rolls between and about which the ribbon operatively connects, whereby the ribbon can be moved back and forth across the label reoeiving means, an escapement detent mechanism for holding one or the other of the rollers against retrograde movement in feeding the ribbon in one direction,and a printing cylinder having type bars movably 13o mounted in the frame to make impressions on the labels as they are fed under the ribbon.

11. In a label printing machine, a frame, spaced rolls mounted in bearings of the bottom of the frame, a ribbon operatively connecting said rolls whereby the ribbon may be moved in one direction or the other, an escapement detent adapted to be positioned to prevent retrograde movement of either one of the rolls, a label receiving means and platen under the ribbon so that the ribbon can be adjusted thereacross, a printing cylinder relatively superimposed to the ribbon whereby a type bar thereof may make an impression through the ribbon on the label when the cylinder is depressed,

12. In a label printing machine, a frame, spaced rolls mounted in bearings of the bottom of the frame, a ribbon operatively connecting said rolls, whereby the ribbon may be moved in one direction or the other, an escapement detent adapted to be positioned to prevent retrograde movement of either one of the rolls, a label receiving means and platen under the ribbon so that the ribbon can be adjusted thereacross, a printing cylinder relatively superimposed to the ribbon whereby a type bar thereof may make an impression through the ribbon on the label when the cylinder is depressed, a cyl inder supporting member mounted in guides of the frame and in bearings of which the cylinder is rotatably mounted, a stem carried by said cylinder supporting means and engaging a guide of the frame, means cooperating with the stem to raise the cylinder to a normal position after making an impression of the type bar.

13. In a label printing machine, a frame, spaced rolls mounted in bearings of the bottom of the frame, a ribbon operatively connecting said rolls, whereby the ribbon may bemoved in one direction or the other, an escapement detent adapted to be positioned t prevent retrograde movement of either one of the rolls, a label receiving means and platen under the ribbon so that the ribbon can be adjusted thereacross, a printing cylinder relatively superimposed to the ribbon whereby a type bar thereof may make an impression through the ribbon on the label when the cylinder is depressed, a cylinder supporting member mounted in guides of the frame and in bearings of which the cylinder is rotatably mounted, a stem carried by said cylinder supporting means and engaging a guide of the frame, means cooperating with the stem to raise the cylinder to a normal position after making an impression of the type bar, and detent means for holding the cylinder against rotation when the cylinder is moved vertically downwardly to make an impression.

14:. In a labelprinting machine, a casing, a printing machine therein, ribbon carrying rolls mounted in the base of the casing, a ribbon engaging said rolls and adapted to be wound from one to the other, ratchet teeth on corresponding ends of said rolls, an escapement detent having diverging arms and being pivotally mounted on the casing, said arms terminating in teeth and means operatively connected with the detent for causing the teeth of the arms to cooperate with the ratchet teeth of the rolls to impart an intermittent motion to said rolls, thereby unreeling the ribbon from one roll and feeding it upon the opposite roll.'

15. In a label printing machine, a casing, a printing mechanism mounted therein, ribbon supporting rolls mounted in the casing, a ribbon engaging said rolls, a forked escapement detent pivotally mounted upon the casing, the forks of which are adapted to operatively connect alternately with the rolls for feeding the ribbon from one roll to the other, and a lever having yieldable connections with the forks of the detent, for operating the detent.

16. In a label printing machine, a casing, a printing mechanism mounted therein, ribbon supporting rolls mounted in the casing, a ribbon engaging said rolls, a pivoted forked detent having one or the other of its forks cooperatively connecting with one of the rolls for imparting an intermittent motion thereto, and a single lever operatively connected with the detent for shifting the same whereby one or the other of the rolls may be given an intermittent motion.

17. In a label printing machine, a casing, a printing mechanism therein, ribbon supporting rolls mounted in the casing, a ribbon engaging said rolls, ratchet means for the rolls to prevent retrograde movement thereof, a forked escapement detent pivotall y mounted on the casing having either of its forks cotiperatively connecting with one of the rolls and imparting an intermittent motion thereto, anda single lever having yieldable connections with the detent for operating the same to cause the forks to impart intermittent motions to the rolls.

18. In a label printing machine, a casing, a label printing mechanism therein including a label guide, said guide being constructed from a single piece of sheet metal bent upon itself causing it to be formed into upper and lower parts between which the label passes, said upper and lower parts having elongated rectangular openings through which the type bar of the printing member of saidmechanism may engage, a platen roller under the guide for receiving the impression of the type bar through said openings, the lower part of the guide having a flange overlying the upper part thereby "U-shaped 7 member, said printing element having transversely extending grooves, a spring detent carried by the U-shapedmemher and provided with a roller engaging said grooves for holding the element in position when imparting an impression onthe label, means for retaining the U-shaped member to its normal raised position.

20. In a label printing machine, a casing, a label printing mechanism in the casing including a printingcylinder movable in a plane with the casing, ribbon supporting rolls,- a printing ribbon engaging said rolls, an escapement detent having cooperative connections With eitherof said rolls for imparting an intermittent motion to said rolls,

said detent movablefwith the printing cylinder, whereby as the cylinder moves upwardly, as a result of a depression movement, an intermittent motion is imparted to one or the other of said rolls.

21. In a label'printing machine, acasing, a labelprinting mechanism in the casing including a printing cylinder movable in a plane with the casing, ribbon supporting rolls, a printing ribbonengaging'said rolls, 7 an escapement detent having cooperative connections with eithero'f said rolls for imparting an intermittent motion to said rolls, said deteut being movable with the printing cylinder, whereby as the cylinder moves upwardly, Which is aresult' of a depression movement, an intermittent motion is impartedto one or the'other of said rolls, and means operative'ly connecting with the escapenient detent for shifting the same whereby either of said rolls may be given an intermittent motion.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

" HUGH r. m ner. 

